The present invention pertains to operable walls movable to partition large rooms into smaller rooms, and, in particular, to mounting assemblies for hinges that connect together adjacent panels of an operable wall.
Operable walls or partitions, also known as moveable wall panel systems, find useful application in a variety of venues, such as classrooms, offices, convention facilities and hospitals. In these venues, the operable walls can be used to efficiently divide or compartmentalize interior space into a multitude of separate, smaller rooms. In particular, the operable wall panels are typically connected to trolleys that roll within an overhead track. Travel of the trolleys within the track allows the panels to be moved between a stacked arrangement in a storage location, and a wall-forming, extended arrangement in alignment with the overhead track.
Several shortcomings of both paired panel systems and continuously hinged panel systems of operable walls relate to the hinges typically utilized to connect adjacent panels. Butt hinges which are normally used each include a pair of base plates that are pivotably pinned together at a hinge knuckle. Although the base plates that are mounted to the facing ends of hingedly connected panels are concealed when the panels are disposed in a wall-forming arrangement, the hinge knuckle projects beyond the room-forming wall facade even when the wall is formed.
Due to the fact that frequently several hinges are used at each panel interconnection, the smooth appearance of the wall is noticeably interrupted by the presence of the hinge knuckles, which detracts from the overall aesthetics of the wall. Moreover, because the hinge knuckles project into the room formed by the operable wall, they can be a nuisance and danger to users of the wall.
To address this shortcoming, previous attempts have been made to utilize devices known as concealed or invisible hinges in operable walls. Invisible hinges include parts that mount directly to the end faces of the panels, but the hinges are designed such that no part of the hinge extends beyond the room-forming facades of the panels. These types of hinges are therefore generally invisible to persons on both sides of the wall when the hinged panels are arranged in an extended or wall-forming arrangement.
In the past, the mounting of invisible hinges to operable walls, such as walls having panels with metal frames, utilized brackets. One known bracket was structured to be mountable in the center of the panel edge. The bracket includes and with slots so as to be vertically adjustable, but included a laterally offset opening in which the hinge was mounted such that the hinge could be positioned near the face of the wall panel. While advantageous in that the invisible hinge was thereby mountable to the frame and its backing plate, this bracket was not without its limitations. In particular, the manner of mounting the hinge resulted in inferior sound barrier properties with respect to sounds traveling from one side of the extended wall to the other side. In addition, while designed to permit vertical adjustability that allowed adjacent panels to be lined up properly, the brackets were susceptible to loosening from the frame over time, which loosening could allow vertical shifting of the hinge relative to the panel. Since the wall facades often include special coverings which need to be closely lined up between adjacent panels to maintain a professional appearance, such shifting could compromise the aesthetics of the wall.
Thus, it would be desirable to overcome these and other shortcomings of the prior art.
The present invention provides a mounting bracket for an invisible hinge of an operable wall. The mounting bracket, especially in conjunction with an optional hinge encapsulating acoustic boot, provides improved sound barrier characteristics for the operable wall. The mounting bracket also allows for vertical adjustability during its installation, and further can be locked in place when properly installed.
The mounting bracket includes a pair of end portions slotted to allow for vertical adjustment of the bracket on the edge frame of an operable wall panel. The bracket further includes a recessed plate portion forming a receptacle for a main body portion of the invisible hinge. Each end portion further includes a hinge mounting section providing mounting holes for attachment of the invisible hinge flange to the bracket and to the edge frame of the operable wall. An offsetting span connects the hinge mounting section to the slotted portion. The offsetting span is angled so that the slotted portion is recessed relative to the hinge mounting section.
In a preferred embodiment, at least one end portions includes a locking hole configured to receive a fastener to lock the bracket in position on the edge frame. In a most preferred embodiment, the bracket is integrally formed of steel.
In another version of the invention, the center receptacle includes side panels forming a box.
In yet another embodiment, the bracket may be coated with a sound absorbing material such as latex, or may include a boot for the hinge main body. These features reduce sound transmission through the operable wall panels.
In still another embodiment, the mounting apparatus includes a pair of brackets vertically spaced on the edge frame of an operable wall. Each bracket includes a slotted base plate for adjusting the bracket. Each base plate also includes a threaded mounting block to which a flange of an invisible hinge attaches. At least one of the brackets also includes a locking hole for positioning of the bracket for attachment In this embodiment, the edge frame of the operable wall includes a cavity that receives the main body of the invisible hinge.
One advantage of the present invention is that it allows hinges used to connect together adjacent operable wall panels to be hidden when the operable wall is in a wall-forming arrangement, and therefore the hinges do not detract from the aesthetics of the room.
Another advantage of the present invention is that an invisible hinge can be mounted to an operable wall in a manner which does not compromise the acoustical or sound barrier properties of the operable wall.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a mounting bracket may be provided with a sound sealing member that is interposed between the bracket and the invisible hinge to provide improved sound barrier properties.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that a mounting bracket may be provided which is installable at various vertical locations along the height of the panel, thereby facilitating proper installation of the hinge, and at a desired vertical location the bracket can be locked in placed by the use of an additional locking member that engages the bracket.